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Old October 21, 2004, 08:16 AM   #1
CzarShel
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Short Rifle?

Hey folks can you help me with a question?
How short can my .223 Rifle be and still be in compliance?
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Old October 21, 2004, 09:26 AM   #2
shaggy
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The minimum length for a rifle under federal law is a 16" barrel, 26" overall length before it has to be registered as a SBR. Once its registered as a SBR though, there is no minimum.
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Old October 21, 2004, 09:47 AM   #3
CzarShel
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Thank You, thats exactly what I wanted to know.
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Old December 22, 2004, 09:45 AM   #4
TexasSIGMan
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Not completely correct...

"Once its registered as a SBR though, there is no minimum."

That's not necessarily true. The Form 1 includes a space for length of bbl and overall length.

If the manufacturer is smart they will put "less than 16 inches", but I have seen some that said things like "10-14" inches. In that case, you can't go less than 10 inches even after the tax stamp is received.

If you build one, be careful with the wording.
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Old December 22, 2004, 10:36 AM   #5
shaggy
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Quote:
If the manufacturer is smart they will put "less than 16 inches", but I have seen some that said things like "10-14" inches. In that case, you can't go less than 10 inches even after the tax stamp is received.
This is not true. BATF likes to know what lengths are used, but you are not prohibited from using a shorter barrel than is disclosed on the forms. If you make a "permanent" change in the barrel length, BATF advises you to amend your F1/F4 and inform them of the change. For weapons like an AR15 where barrel/upper changes can be done in a matter of seconds, almost no change can be considered "permanent". On fixed barrel weapons such as a Ruger Mini-14/ACC556, HK types, or AK47s, you're not going to be able to easily change the barrel length, so the paperwork should reflect the actual length, but if you do change it, you can simply write to BATF and inform them of the change.
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Old February 1, 2005, 06:06 PM   #6
futureforcewarrior22
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16.25 inches.
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Old February 2, 2005, 05:33 PM   #7
shaggy
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Quote:
16.25 inches.
Poppycock. Federally its a flat 16" barrel length or a 26" overall length. Maybe your state law mandates that extra .25" but its not a requirement under federal law.


18 USC 921(a)(8) The term “short-barreled rifle” means a rifle having one or more barrels less than sixteen inches in length and any weapon made from a rifle (whether by alteration, modification, or otherwise) if such weapon, as modified, has an overall length of less than twenty-six inches.
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Old February 2, 2005, 10:09 PM   #8
too many choices!?
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Hey Shaggy

I bet the ATF ruler for measuring barrel length has an "exact inch" which I would not be surprised to find was longer than standard . So the extra .25 is kinda smart....just in case .
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